Representatives from the pub, which lies on a roundabout in the village’s older part, were at the council chamber in Woking’s civic offices to take part in a meeting of the borough’s licensing sub-committee A on Tuesday. Premises supervisor Emma Glenn had applied for additional opening hour on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and a further additional hour of opening during bank holiday weekends on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and at Easter, Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The pub also asked for 30 minutes “winding down” time after the last permitted sale of alcohol and permission to provide refreshment after 11pm. The new hours will mean the Blue Anchor can supply alcohol until 11pm Sunday to Wednesday and until midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a further 30 minutes before closing. Senior environmental health officer Euan Tapper told the committee no objections had been received from the police but 22 written objections had been received along with two petitions containing 13 different signatures. Many of the objecting residents were present at the meeting. Nicholas Greene, managing director of Kestrel Wholesale, the company that runs the premises, said: “We have only applied for an extra hour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. These hours are necessary if we are to remain competitive in this area. “I was quite shocked when I found out about these objections. It would appear some people have gone out of their way to whip up feeling against my family and business. “I was genuinely surprised with the tone of the letters and was quite angry but am now saddened. Many of these letter are not only frivolous but fictitious.” Mr Greene said many of the alleged incidents cited by residents in their objection letters — namely the police had been called to restore order at the pub — were false and concerns about noise had not been addressed to staff and consequently left unresolved. He added: “It is obvious some people don’t understand the hours applied for or haven’t even read the paper at all.” But residents stood firm over their objections. One said: “I believe a lot of concerns relate to when the pub closes at night. “We have accepted that pretty much at the moment we wait for that and then we go to bed but the extension to midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and then additional hours on bank holidays will make a significant difference in the future. Another asked: “Have you done anything with regards to the noise coming from your premises?” Mr Greene replied: “We were unaware of the problem.” Other residents alleged incidents of unruly behaviour such as shouting and swearing and the breaking of bottles and glasses by clients coming out of the Blue Anchor — all of which Mr Greene strenuously denied. Councillor Riasat Khan asked Mr Greene whether he could provide assurances that at closing time there would be a quiet dispersal and glasses would be prohibited from being taken from the premises. He replied: “We weren’t aware of the problem. Our policy is very clear that glasses and bottles must not be removed from the Blue Anchor. “With regards to noise, we will endeavour to keep the doors closed. If there is a problem with noise I would ask the neighbours to phone us.” Committee chairman Councillor Tony Hayes-Allen said: “Despite the large number of letters of objection sent in and statements made we don’t find any grounds in licensing law to refuse this modest request to extend hours, which we now grant.”